Jane Spavold Tims's Blog, page 39

decorating for Christmas #1

Mid-December and the countdown to Christmas has begun. I love to decorate for the holiday. At one time, the entire house was decked out … one year I decorated seven Christmas trees!

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As I get older, I keep the decorating to a few well-loved vignettes and I always try to include some natural greenery.

Last week we went to our cabin and I snipped a bouquet of cedar boughs …

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The crock is one of my collection of crocks, this one special since it was made at MEDALTA Potteries Ltd., not far from where I lived in Medicine Hat in Alberta.

Hope your seasonal decorating is going well!

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Best regards,

Jane

 

 

painting of a covered bridge

When I was preparing the basics of my new book, ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’, I did a couple of paintings as a possible cover image.

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One of the paintings I prepared was ‘choke cherries at Ellis Bridge’ (24″ wide by 20″ high, acrylic, gallery edges, painted June 2016) a study of late summer at the covered bridge over the North Becaguimec River in Carleton County. Since another painting was chosen as the cover art for my book, ‘choke cherries at Ellis Bridge’ is my new submission to Isaacs’s Way Restaurant for their art auction. My painting ‘Farmyard in Winter’ sold before the Autumn Art Auction #31 was over and most artists submit a painting to fill their ‘space’.

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‘choke cherries at Ellis Bridge’ by Jane Tims (24″ wide by 20″ high, acrylic, gallery edges)

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The Ellis Bridge is a charming covered bridge, situated on a little-used road near Carlisle, Carleton County, New Brunswick. Built in 1909, it is one of 59 covered bridges remaining in New Brunswick and a lovely spot to pass a summer day. Two poems in my book are based on our visit to the Ellis Bridge. One, ‘bunches of bitter’, features some of the initials carved inside the bridge.

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bunches of bitter

Ellis Bridge

North Becaguimec River #4

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beside the Ellis Bridge

choke-cherries hang in mist

and berries blacken

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R.S., E L O

who were they?

Braxton, KAMRYN

S M, G M P

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did they wade the shallow water?

fish for trout?

shout and listen for echo?

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did they strip berries from branches?

pucker lips and cheeks?

does Eric still love Linda?

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I love showing my work at Isaac’s Way. The art is viewed by everyone enjoying a meal at the restaurant and 50% of the proceeds from my sales are donated to ART lessons for kids-in-need. If you love covered bridges and would like some original art for your home, drop by and have a look at my work.

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Copyright Jane Tims 2017

snow duties

Our first big snow arrived Saturday night. Twenty centimeters of fluff. Time to begin snow removal duties.

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This year my husband has about 30 clients for snow removal and he has been getting ready for a couple of weeks — staking driveways, buying diesel, replacing lights in the tractor array, removing stressed bolts and moving things around the yard to make moving the snow as simple as possible.

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My duties are simple and few. I set the alarm for 3 AM, print off the client list from the computer and run the checklist — water, raisins, earplugs, client list, flashlight, cell phone, “go bag”. The “go-bag” has about sixty pounds of chain, a roll of tow strapping, assorted connection devices and anything you would ever want to pull yourself from a ditch.

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I also supply diesel when needed and lunch. No set times for anything. Just a hearty meal, packed to eat on the road, when my husband gets hungry.

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lunch packed into a cooler (or in this case, a heater) … lots of protein and calories …

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Otherwise, I answer the phone, work away at various editing projects and worry. Things can go wrong out there in snow-land and they often do. A stray two-by-four goes through the blower. The tractor slips off the side of a driveway into a deep ditch. The plow for the main roads is late. There are three cars in the driveway and no one at home to move them!

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My husband is the only one I know who talks about snow and winter longingly in the middle of summer. Everyone should love their work as much as he does!

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Enjoy your snow-day where-ever you are.

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Copyright Jane Tims 2017 

a day getting ready for Christmas

I have been so busy lately, all duties associated with my new book. But occasionally I need a day to just catch up, and to pay attention to the season. So last week we drove out on a Christmas adventure. We did four things:

1. Bought a balsam fir wreath for the front of our house. These wreaths are hanging outside most of our local quick-stop stores, so our wreath was easy to find.

2. Bought a Christmas turkey. I am not much for preparing meat for the stove, so we bought a ready-stuffed Butterball turkey. I will still have to cope with the ‘gizzard’ bag but mostly I can just peel off the plastic, put the bird into the pan and shove it in the oven. What a wimp I am!

3. Visited the Atlantic Super Store and got a sampling of their fancy hors-d’oeuvres. Coconut shrimp! A treat for a cold winter evening.

4. Drove to our camp and gathered cedar boughs to make a Christmas garland. We sat in the camp, ate Clementine oranges and talked for an hour or so. We even heard the loons on the lake call three times.  A very pleasant way to prepare for Christmas.

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our Christmas wreath

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What small things do you do to get ready for the Christmas season?

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Copyright Jane Tims 2017

announcing the winner of a copy of ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’

I have a winner in the 500th follower contest! (Anyone who entered a comment on my blog between October 15, 2017 and November 20, 2017 inclusive was entered in the draw to win a signed copy of my new book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’).

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We drew for the winner at my reading at the Authors Coffee House on November 23, 2017.

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signing books at the Authors Coffee House where we drew for the winner of the book …

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I am happy to say the winner is ‘Rebecca’, writer of the blog ‘walking on a country road’. I will be sending Rebecca her copy of my book in the next couple of days. Rebecca is an avid bird watcher and naturalist and I know she will enjoy the book. If you love bird photography and would like to know more about the natural history of Tennessee, visit her blog at https://walkingonacountryroad.com/

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Thank you to everyone who entered. I will be having another contest soon, so keep reading!

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Copyright Jane Tims 2017

book launch for my covered bridge book!

I hope you can join me for the launch of my new poetry book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ (Chapel Street Editions, 2017). The launch will be at Westminster Books in Fredericton on December 2, 2017 at 2:00 in the afternoon.

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Anyone who buys one of my books will be entered in a draw to win one of my paintings. This painting (11″ x 14″, ‘apple orchard green’, acrylic, gallery edges) is a companion to the painting on the cover of my book.

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Hope to see you there. For those of you so far away, perhaps there is a book reading in your own area to attend.

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All my best!

Jane

500th follower!

Horray! I’ve reached my 500th follower! Thanks for all those who entered my book draw by leaving a comment on the past few posts. I will be drawing for the winner of my new book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ at my reading on November 23 at the Authors Coffee House in Nasonworth. I’ll announce the winner on Friday, November 24!

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Holding this contest has been fun. I’ve had more comments than usual and I will be delighted to give my book to one of my readers!!!!

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Thanks to all who entered.

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Copyright Jane Tims 2017

new book and new line-up of readings!

With the publication of my new book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ comes a new series of readings. I wish you were near so you could attend.

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I love to read in public. Reading about covered bridges will be lots of fun because people love the subject matter. In New Brunswick we still have 59 covered bridges and most people can tell you a story about their local bridge or about one they cross as they travel the New Brunswick roads.

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Readings lined up so far:

Authors Coffee House, Nasonworth, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, November 23, 2017 … 7 PM

Book Launch, Westminster Books, Fredericton, December 2, 2017 … 2 PM

Library Reading, Sussex Public Library, January, 2017 …. keep watch for details

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My reading at the Authors Coffee House will be a bit different. I have prepared a slide show of some of the bridges in my book. $10 from the sale of each book will go to a church outreach project in Uganda. And we will have cookies from the Goody Shop in Fredericton!

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Hope to see you there!

Jane

restoring an old church

For some time now, as part of my duties on the Vestry of our church, I have been involved in discussions about the future of a very old church in our community.

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St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in New Maryland, New Brunswick (Photo credit: Hughes)

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St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in New Maryland, New Brunswick was built in 1863 and is a small wooden Gothic Revival church designed by Rev. Edward S. Medley as part of his architectural program.

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In recognition of its history and architecture, the church is listed as a Protected Historic Site under the Heritage Conservation Act. It is considered to be one of the finest Medley-inspired, Neo-Gothic, wooden churches in New Brunswick. The designation has this to say about the church …

 

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin Provincial Heritage Place is significant because of its association with the Neo-Gothic architectural programme of Anglican priest-architect Rev. Edward S. Medley and, his father, Bishop John Medley. Here the two Medleys have collaborated to render a diminutive, wooden, mid-Victorian church-building translated from more formal stone compositions in England dating back to the Middle Ages. Designed by Rev. Edward S. Medley in 1863 and completed the following year, this church was consecrated by Bishop John Medley. It serves as a noteworthy example of the more than 100 Neo-Gothic churches erected in New Brunswick during the 47 year episcopate of John Medley (1845-1892).

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Inspired by other much larger church buildings of the Gothic manner, St. Mary the Virgin reflects a dramatic emphasis on exterior vertical lines reaching upward along the walls of the building, ending in a distinctive bell turret. This verticality is accentuated further by board-and-batten exterior construction punctuated frequently in the architectural pattern by the characteristic pointed arch motif over windows, doorways and gables.

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The old church is closely surrounded by a cemetery and has been important to the community as a place of worship, family life, weddings, baptisms, and burials for well over 100 years. Since a new church was built in 1987, the old church has aged and weathered. Although repairs are needed, restoration is possible and a number of options have been suggested for its reuse.

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(Photos of the stained glass windows in the church are by John Leroux and are used with permission)

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If you are interested in hearing more about this church and following along as a new future for the church is imagined and realised, you can join the Facebook Group ‘Friends of the Historic New Maryland Church’. I hope to see you there!

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Copyright Jane Tims 2017

covered bridge at the foot of the rainbow

[image error]I have covered bridges on my mind … this great view of our Patrick Owens Bridge in Rusagonis, taken last summer on a drive home through the rain!

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Copyright Jane Tims 2017